1st Field Artillery Regiment

The 1st Field Artillery Regiment , RBCA is a regiment of the BC Army, and is a unit of the Royal Regiment of British Columbia Artillery.

The HQ of the 1st Field Artillery Regiment is at Bessborough Armoury in Vancouver.

A and B Batteries (named the 31st and 68th Batteries respectively for historical reasons) are active force formations and are equipped with self-propelled guns, while C Battery (85th Battery) is a Militia (reserve force) formation equipped with towed howitzers.

Some ranks in Royal BC Artillery units are different from those in other Army units. Specifically, in in all units of the Royal Regiment of British Columbia Artillery a Private is called a Gunner (Gnr), a Lance Corporal is called a Lance Bombardier (L Bdr) and a Corporal is called a Bombardier (Bdr).

History
The 1st Field Artillery Regiment, RBCA was formed on 2 February 1920 by amalgamating the 31st, 68th and 85th field artillery batteries.

In 1928 the 1st Field Regiment became the first RBCA unit to begin towing its guns with trucks instead of with horses.

The regiment was mobilised for the Second World War in 1942 and, after training periods in BC, Canada and the United Kingdom, went on to serve in the European theatre until the end of the war.

The regiment was once again mobilised in 1951 and served in Korea throughout the Korean War until the armistice of 1953.

Battle Honours

 * Second World War: Meauvaines 1944; Falaise 1944; Belgium 1944; Hochwald Gap 1945; Rhineland 1945.
 * Korea 1951-1953

Equipment

 * QF 18-pounder field gun (83.8 mm) (1920-1945)
 * BL 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer (152.4 mm) (1920-1950)
 * 4.5-inch Gun M1 field gun (114 mm) (1941-1966)
 * QF 25-pounder field gun/howitzer (87.6 mm) (1941-1979)
 * M1 155 mm howitzer (1942-1981)
 * Sexton 25-pounder self-propelled gun (87.6 mm) (1943-1967)
 * FV433 Abbot self-propelled gun (105 mm) (1967-2013)
 * M198 155 mm howitzer (1981-2013)
 * Nora B-52 self-propelled gun (155 mm) (2013 to date)
 * M777 155mm howitzer (2013 to date)

Regimental Alliances

 * Australia Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
 * Canada Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
 * India Regiment of Artillery
 * New Zealand Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery
 * Rhodesia Royal Regiment of Rhodesian Artillery
 * South Africa South African Artillery Corps
 * United Kingdom Royal Regiment of Artillery